My alcohol intake - apart from a glass of wine on special occasions - has dwindled to nearly a teetotaler’s in recent years, but I still consider myself a whisky kind of gal. A nice Islay Scotch, if you have it, and neat, if you please, although I wouldn’t turn my back on a cheeky glass of whisky sour, either. My problem it seems is that I like the taste but am not too keen on getting drunk. I also happen to find that the flavor of whisky is especially marvelous when it comes in contact with sugar. Even though alcoholic desserts don’t usually appeal to me, I think whisky brings a lovely depth without being as boozy-tasting as rum or certain liqueurs.
I came up with these cookies while trying to figure out how to use up the rest of the delicious Chatsworth honey that Brilynn gave me months ago for Blogging By Mail. After musing on how well whisky would go with the honey, it only took a short session of tasting, mixing, and flying nuggets of butter (from enthusiastic whisking) before these yummy little guys were born. They are soft, buttery-sweet, and somewhat delicate, with a note of whisky that is subtle but distinct. It’s worth mentioning that as much as I love Islays, it’s probably best not to use them in these cookies (there’s not much point in cooking with any high-quality single-malt, for that matter). A drinkable blend or something like Jameson would be fine.
I would gladly serve these on any occasion, but they’d be brilliant at a Burns Nicht celebration. If you want to know the truth, I’ve been longing for ages to hold my very own Burns Nicht, but don’t seem to have enough mad Scotsmen (or women, or heck, enthusiasts) in my vicinity who are willing to play silly music and explore the mysteries of Haggis with me. And I’m not even Scottish! Still, even if it’s just me singing my favorite Rabbie Burns songs loudly in the kitchen again this year, I’ve found a particularly sweet tribute to the man’s national spirit.